Silence filled the room.
Ace stared at the serious expression on the man's face. Gradually, he began to realize that this situation was far worse than he had assumed. But even now, he still didn't understand just how bad things really were.
"What do you mean?" He fixed Kojin with a heavy gaze.
Kojin slowly shook his head. "You really are naive."
"The commander of the Whitebeard Pirates' Second Division, Fire Fist Ace, has been captured. Did you really think sacrificing a single life would be enough?"
Ace's expression stiffened.
"The Marines have known who you really are for a long time," Kojin continued. "The son of Gol D. Roger. The last bloodline Roger left behind. From the moment you entered the first half of the Grand Line, they already had their sights set on you. They've spent all this time preparing a series of operations aimed at Whitebeard... or rather, the entire Whitebeard Pirates."
Each sentence struck harder than the last. Ace's earlier indifference vanished, replaced by shock. By the time Kojin finished speaking, sweat beaded on Ace's forehead and his body trembled slightly.
"The Marines... are planning to attack the Whitebeard Pirates?"
Even Bartholomew Kuma looked stunned.
"Now is the perfect opportunity, isn't it?" Kojin replied calmly.
"But Whitebeard is the World's Strongest Man," Kuma said gravely. "The Whitebeard Pirates have ruled the New World for years. If the Marines go to war with them, the cost will be enormous."
His expression was unusually solemn.
After all, Whitebeard's reputation was common knowledge, and his influence reached across the seas; even Fish-Man Island lived under his protection. No one would have imagined the Marines would actually choose to challenge him directly. Such a war would shake the entire world, shatter the existing balance, and unleash unimaginable consequences.
"If it means shifting the world's balance and crushing the power of pirates, the Marines will pay any price," Kojin said firmly. "The Great Age of Piracy may be an age of dreams for pirates, a paradise they celebrate with pride. But for the overwhelming majority of ordinary people, it's an age straight out of hell. A nightmare suffered by countless innocent lives."
He paused, took a deep breath, and looked at both of them. "Do you know how many reports of civilian tragedies land on desks at Marine Headquarters every single day? How many islands and towns are destroyed by pirates? How many massacres? Plunder, murder, human trafficking, organ trafficking, slavery..."
He narrowed his eyes. "I'm not denying that some nobles are guilty of the same crimes, but the people responsible for the overwhelming majority of these tragedies... are the pirates who take as much pride in their identity as you do."
His voice turned ice-cold.
The words struck both men like a hammer. Ace clenched his fists, unable to find anything to say. As a pirate himself, he had seen other crews terrorize civilians and leave mountains of corpses in their wake.
"So..." Ace gritted his teeth. "You're going to be part of this too?"
"I helped formulate this operation," Kojin answered without hesitation.
He wasn't exaggerating. The world truly was that chaotic. Corrupt nobles committed unspeakable crimes, but pirates were no better, many were even worse. Some even treated massacring civilians as a game, competing over body counts to raise their bounties and earn greater fame.
Ace bit his lip. "Have you forgotten who I am?"
Kojin's expression hardened. "Ace. I'm a Marine."
Ace trembled before falling silent once more. He had no argument, a Marine fighting pirates was only natural.
Kuma remained frozen where he stood, his mind still reeling. In just a few moments, he had learned a secret capable of shaking the entire world: the Marines were preparing a full campaign against the Whitebeard Pirates, and it had all begun with the freckled young man standing before them.
No... from the moment Ace sailed into the Grand Line, his fate had already been decided.
After a long silence, Kojin spoke again. "You'll be escorted to Marine Headquarters, Marineford. Then transferred to Impel Down. And in the end... you'll be publicly executed before the entire world."
Ace's eyes widened, and he snapped his head up. "Let me go! If you do, this war can still be avoided... right?"
Kojin frowned. "Naivety won't save the people you're trying to protect. When faced with hardship, what you need most is a clear, rational mind."
Ace ground his teeth together, his thoughts in complete turmoil.
A public execution... The moment that news broke, the consequences were obvious. The Whitebeard Pirates would never stand by and watch. The world was heading toward a war unlike anything it had ever seen.
"Ace, the changing of the times is an unbreakable law. No one can escape the turning of fate," Kojin said, letting out a quiet sigh before continuing in a low voice. "This era no longer belongs to Whitebeard. There is no ship left in this age capable of carrying him."
Ace's whole body trembled. Pain and overwhelming guilt filled his face. "It's all my fault... I wasn't strong enough. I was too weak. I lost to Teach. This was my mistake, and I'll bear the consequences myself. It has nothing to do with the Whitebeard Pirates!"
Kojin simply shook his head.
As he had already said, naivety was never the answer. The Marines had long since begun gathering elite forces from across the world at Marine Headquarters, making preparations for the coming conflict.
The Marines' goal was simple: destroy the Whitebeard Pirates in one decisive blow. The crew that had ruled the seas for decades and built a legendary reputation would be wiped out, not only to eliminate a powerful enemy, but to make an example of them.
It would serve as a warning to every pirate in the world, while demonstrating the full might of the Marines to intimidate anyone who dared challenge them.
In other words, bringing down Whitebeard was the inevitable outcome of this era. It was bound to happen, and anyone who stood in the way would simply be crushed.
"If you truly want to make up for your mistake..." Kojin said suddenly.
Ace looked up immediately, hope flashing in his eyes.
"Then from this point on, you follow my plan. It's the only way you and the Whitebeard Pirates might still have a chance to survive." Kojin stared at him solemnly.
Ace took a deep breath, met his gaze, and gave a firm nod. At this point, he had no other choice. All he could do was trust him.
---
Time passed.
The ' Crocodile' sailed through the Gates of Justice and slowly docked in Marineford's inner bay.
Kojin stepped off the bow first. Behind him walked Ace, his head lowered to hide his face. Bartholomew Kuma brought up the rear, his towering figure drawing attention wherever he went.
The moment the Marine officer waiting at the dock caught sight of Ace, his expression changed dramatically. "Fire Fist Ace?!"
He immediately turned toward Kojin. "Admiral Kojin! We have Seastone shackles ready!"
Kojin looked at him coldly. "Are you implying that Fire Fist Ace could escape from me?"
The officer's face turned pale. "N-No! That's not what I meant!"
"Then keep your mouth shut." Kojin's icy reply left no room for argument.
He walked straight past him, Ace following silently behind. Within moments, the three of them had disappeared into the distance.
Only then did the officer finally let out a long breath and wipe the sweat from his forehead. "Admiral Kojin's presence is terrifying... Even the Whitebeard Pirates' Second Division Commander didn't dare resist while he was around. He's incredible."
---
Inside Marine Headquarters, Sengoku quickly received the report, his expression growing serious.
"Fire Fist Ace..." He quietly repeated the name, falling deep into thought. Kojin had previously mentioned finding a breakthrough, but Sengoku had never expected it to be this. "So it was Blackbeard... Marshall D. Teach. He's the one who lit the fuse for this war."
' Did Kojin somehow foresee this?' Sengoku quickly shook his head. ' No... that's impossible. That would be far too unbelievable.' Even Observation Haki at its absolute peak, capable of glimpsing into the future, couldn't predict events with such precision.
"No matter what... this is a historic moment." His expression grew even more solemn. He knew exactly what was coming: a tidal wave that would reshape the world and alter the era itself.
For some reason, Sengoku found himself feeling nervous. He abruptly rose from his chair and hurried out of his office, leaving the young officers in the hallway staring after him in confusion.
' The son of the Pirate King... The commander of the Whitebeard Pirates' Second Division... His capture will be the key that opens the door to a new age. This will be an unprecedented moment for the Marines.'
The thought filled Sengoku with equal parts anxiety and anticipation.
A short while later, he reached the plaza and saw Kojin approaching, with Ace and Kuma following behind.
"Kojin!" Sengoku called out.
"His injuries are severe, and he'll need time to recover," Kojin said as he approached. "For now, keep him in the headquarters prison."
Sengoku agreed. "Given how dangerous he is, we'll have to restrain him with Seastone shackles."
Kojin frowned slightly before nodding. "Agreed."
"We'll keep this matter confidential for now," Sengoku added. "When the time is right, we'll announce it to the entire world."
"Understood," Kojin replied with a simple nod.
Half an hour later, with Seastone shackles binding his hands and feet, Ace was escorted into Marine Headquarters' prison under heavy guard. Throughout the entire process, he remained completely silent, as if he had already accepted his fate.
Nearby, Sengoku stood quietly, his brows tightly furrowed in deep thought.
(End of Chapter)
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